Covid LIVE: Fully vaxxed students in Kerala can go to college from Oct 18

Coronavirus LIVE updates: Kerala recorded 13,834 cases, Maharashtra 3,105, Delhi 47, Karnataka 589, Andhra Pradesh 809 cases in the last 24 hours. Stay tuned for corona updates

11:14 AM

Singapore worker dormitories hit by new wave of virus clusters

Singapore again reported a sharp increase of coronavirus infections in foreign-worker dormitories as it seeks to tamp down rising case numbers island-wide that have pushed deaths from the pandemic to a record level.

 

The city-state’s Ministry of Health said that eight people had died on Friday from Covid-19, matching Wednesday’s toll -- the highest daily fatality rate since the pandemic began.

 

11:03 AM

Sri Lanka lifts nationwide quarantine curfew

Sri Lankan authorities have lifted a nationwide quarantine curfew after 42 days, but imposed strict health guidelines including a ban on public gatherings and allowing people to leave their houses only for essential work.

 

According to the Health Ministry, the new health guidelines would be imposed strictly to avoid another wave of the Covid-19 pandemic which has so far infected 517,377 people since March last year and caused 12,906 deaths, reports Xinhua news agency.

 

The guidelines include a complete ban on all types of public gatherings including parties, events and religious festivals as well as allowing people to leave their homes only for employment, medical purposes, and essential work.

10:57 AM

Let us heed Gandhi's message of peace, focus on defeating humanity's common enemy - Covid: UN chief

In a clarion call to the international community to heed Mahatma Gandhi's message of peace, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said combatants around the world should lay down their arms and focus on defeating humanity's common enemy, the Covid-19 pandemic, and not one another.

 

"It is no coincidence that we mark the International Day of Non-Violence on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. For Gandhi, non-violence, peaceful protest, dignity and equality were more than words. They represented a guiding light for humanity, a map to a better future, Guterres said in his message for the International Day of Non-Violence, observed on October 2.

 

He said non-violence, peaceful protest, dignity and equality also provide a template to address today's troubled times.

 

Conflicts and climate change. Poverty and inequalities. Mistrust and divisions. All under the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, which continues to devastate people and economies alike, the UN chief said.

10:18 AM

Merck says it has first effective antiviral pill against Covid-19 pandemic

Merck & Co’s Covid-19 antiviral pill molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalisation or death by 50 per cent in an interim analysis of a late-stage trial, findings that could give doctors another potent virus-fighting tool.
 

The company is halting the study and will seek an emergency-use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration as quickly as possible, Chief Executive Officer Rob Davis said in an interview. Merck also plans to submit applications to regulators in other countries. “We couldn’t be more thrilled with the results,” Davis said. “You don’t have to go to the hospital, you don’t have to go to a center to have it infused. It’s a pill you can take at home.”
 

Merck detailed the study analysis in a statement on Friday. Read on...

10:15 AM

Australia drugs regulator approves Covishield for incoming travelers

Australia's top medical regulator on Friday approved the Covishield vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India for incoming international travellers, a step that is expected to facilitate the return of thousands of Indian students to that country.

 

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's office said the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has advised that Coronavac (Sinovac) and Covishield should be considered as "recognised vaccines" for the purpose of determining incoming international travellers as being appropriately vaccinated.

 

It said Australia is ready to take its next steps to safely reopen to the world, with changes coming to the international border. Read on...

9:58 AM

UK records another 35,577 coronavirus cases

Another 35,577 people in Britain have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 7,841,625, according to official figures.

 

The country also recorded another 127 coronavirus-related deaths, as per the figures released on Friday.

 

The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 136,789. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test, Xinhua news agency reported.

 

There are currently 6,733 patients in hospital with Covid-19.

9:21 AM

Fully vaccinated people not following Covid-19 protocols, exposing themselves to risk, says Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday, while quoting a survey by the state government, said that those who are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus are not following the protocols and are exposing themselves to infection.

 

While interacting with media after the weekly Covid review meeting in Pune, Pawar said, "We conducted a survey and found that around 0.19 per cent of people who have taken the first dose are found infected with Covid-19 and around 0.25 per cent people were found infected after taking both doses of vaccine".

 

"On consulting experts, we were informed that those who've taken both the doses aren't following Covid protocol and exposing themselves to the virus. Experts say even when we are easing restrictions, citizens must take precautions and follow protocol," he added.

9:06 AM

Number of weekly Covid-19 cases, deaths continue to decline globally: WHO

The number of weekly COVID-19 cases and deaths continued to decline globally, the World Health Organisation has said, noting that both the case and death incidence have reduced for the past two months in the South-East Asian region.

 

The COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update, released this week, said over 3.3 million new cases and over 55,000 new deaths were reported around the world during the week of September 2026, 2021, a decrease of 10 per cent as compared to the previous week for both cases and deaths.

 

Globally, the numbers of weekly COVID-19 cases and deaths continued to decline, it said. Read on...

8:45 AM

US hits 700,000 Covid-19 deaths just as cases begin to fall

The United States reached its latest heartbreaking pandemic milestone Friday, eclipsing 700,000 deaths from COVID-19 just as the surge from the delta variant is starting to slow down and give overwhelmed hospitals some relief.

 

It took 3 months for the U.S. to go from 600,000 to 700,000 deaths, driven by the variant's rampant spread through unvaccinated Americans. The death toll is larger than the population of Boston.

8:16 AM

California becomes first US state with Covid vaccine mandate for schools

California became the first state in the United States to announce plans to require student vaccination for Covid-19 by adding the vaccine to the list of vaccinations required for school, such as the vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella.

 

According to an order approved by Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday, students in the Golden State would be required to be vaccinated for in-person learning after those vaccines against Covid-19 get full approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for students.

 

Newsom's latest order, the first of its kind nationwide, will roll out in two phases, with the first taking effect for students aged 12 and over following full approval by the FDA for that entire age group, Xinhua news agency reported.

7:54 AM

Argentina to start Covid-19 vaccination of children aged 3-11 by end of 2021

The Argentine National Administration of Drugs, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT) has authorised the use of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine against COVID-19 for children aged 3-11 years, Health Minister Carla Vizzotti said, adding that the campaign will start by the end of the year.

 

"ANMAT has confirmed that we can use Sinopharm [vaccine] for children aged 3-11 years ... Argentina will finish 2021 with the full coverage and protection of people aged over 3 years," Vizzotti said at a press conference on late Friday.

 

The minister added that there were from 5.5 to 6 million children of this age in Argentina.

 

Argentina has confirmed more than 5.25 million COVID-19 cases so far, with over 115,000 fatalities.

7:21 AM

10-day home quarantine for all UK travellers as India amends guidelines

The union health ministry has introduced a ten day home quarantine for all arriving UK nationals and asked the states to strictly monitor them in that period.

 

The revised guidelines which mirror those of the UK government were issued today following its decision to treat fully vaccinated Indians as non vaccinated as a part of its new travel rules. The new guidelines come into effect from October 4. For other travellers arriving from the UK the earlier guidelines issued in February will apply.

 

As per the earlier health ministry guidelines passengers arriving from the UK have to undergo seven day home quarantine (Delhi and Mumbai require 14 day quarantine as per their airport websites). Passengers are released from the quarantine after testing negative and have to monitor their health for another seven days. Read on...

12:45 AM

US COVID cases falling, but hospitals brace for next wave

A decline in COVID-19 cases across the United States over the past several weeks has given overwhelmed hospitals some relief, but administrators are bracing for yet another possible surge as cold weather drives people indoors.

 

Health experts say the fourth wave of the pandemic has peaked overall in the U.S., particularly in the Deep South, where hospitals were stretched to the limit weeks ago. But many Northern states are still struggling with rising cases, and what's ahead for winter is far less clear.

 

Unknowns include how flu season may strain already depleted hospital staffs and whether those who have refused to get vaccinated will change their minds.

 

An estimated 70 million eligible Americans remain unvaccinated, providing kindling for the highly contagious delta variant.

 

If you're not vaccinated or have protection from natural infection, this virus will find you," warned Dr. Mike Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.

11:35 PM

Assam relaxes COVID-19 restrictions, allows cinema halls to reopen

The Assam government on Friday extended the restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19 with some relaxations such as reducing curfew duration and allowing the reopening of cinema halls with 50 per cent capacity.

 

Health Minister Keshab Mahanta said the relaxations, which will come into immediate effect and remain imposed till further orders, have been allowed as lesser number of fresh cases are being reported.

 

"The night curfew will be from 10 PM to 5 AM, instead of the earlier starting time of 9 PM. Business establishments can remain open till 9 PM," he told reporters.

10:59 PM

One more death, 27 new cases in Punjab

Punjab reported 27 fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday that took the infection tally to 6,01,662, while one more fatality pushed the death toll to 16,518, according to a medical bulletin. The only Covid-related death was reported from Mohali. One death was added to the toll after reconciliation of data, according to the bulletin. Among the new cases, Gurdaspur and Patiala reported five each, followed by three each in Amritsar, Pathankot and Jalandhar, the bulletin said.

 

The number of active cases stands at 279, it added.

 

Thirty-three people recovered from the infection, taking the number of those who have been cured to 5,84,865, according to the bulletin.

 

Chandigarh reported two COVID-19 cases, taking the infection count to 65,232, the bulletin said, adding that no Covid-related death was reported in the last twenty-hours. The death toll remained at 819, it added. The number of active cases in the city stands at 36, while the overall recoveries have reached 64,377, according to the bulletin.